All abloom!

I  went back for a visit to Dangwa Flower Market one weekend admiring once more the sea of colors in this place that throbs with life  24/7. This time, I was able to talk to more vendors and luckily met one of the pioneers, Aling Agapita Pamulaklakin.  Kind and very accommodating, Aling Agapita took me back to the '80s when there were only a handful  of them selling fresh-cut flowers in a bus station that came to be known as Bulaklakan ng Maynila.  

Sunshin-y day!

Everyday, the flower vendors, including Aling Agapita, waited for the fresh produce that would come from the Mountain Trail delivered via bus to Dangwa Bus Station along Dos Castillas Street in Samplaoc, Manila. Back then, there were only a few selections the most common of which were roses, of course.

Velvety roses in a row.

Blooms on display.

Red ginger torch flowers lovely to put together into an arrangement. 

" Paper roses. Oh, how real those roses seem to be!"
... and they are!

Fresh eucalyptus

Simply stunning!

A climb in  demand for fresh-cut flowers opened another window of opportunity for the flower vendors. Some varieties are now sourced from Bangkok and Ecuador.

Fresh orchids imported from Bangkok.

Long-stemmed Ecuador roses.

Aling Agapaita tells me more about her life selling fresh flowers and how a bus station evolved into a flower market . Her story is featured  in the online magazine, Positively Filipino ( based in San Francisco, USA), May 29, 2013  issue. 
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